Pentecouste
by Birdy21
Summary: Lancelot was meant to die and save Camelot, but not before he met Katherine Pentecouste. LANCELOT/OC


**Disclaimer: Merlin is not mine. Unfortunately.**

**A/N: So here I am, with another fic. I've always been such a fan of Merlin and so here I am, attempting to write a Merlin fic. It's Lancelot centred. Because I hated the fact they killed him off before they could fully develop his character. The story is after season 3 and before season 4. I'm not planning on killing Lancelot off, like I said, I have so much in store of him. I hope you guys will like it and leave me a review. I would love to hear from you guys, not to mention reviews make my day! This is just an introductory chapter, the next chapters will be longer :) Enjoy!**

**CHAPTER 1: SAFE**

"_The great difference between voyages rests not in ships, but in the people you meet on them." – Amelia. E. Barr_

Her hands were trembling as she urged her feet to quicken the pace, while at the same time she tried to refrain from the urge to look back. It had been more than three days now. Three days since she turned her back on the disaster that ruined her life. She did it with such ease that she couldn't help but wonder whether it was such a good thing she was able to run. Her eyes burned because of the fatigue, tears running down every few minutes. Her cloak swiftly followed her trail as she pushed through the dark forest. She knew it was night and her senses were heightened. She knew she was still in danger. After all, what would stop them from coming after her and wipe out the last member of the Pentecouste line.

She was entirely alone. And she knew that well enough.

She took a shaky breath as she continued the path up the hill, the slippery slope that followed was muddy and her boots were dirty as she descended the path. Her lungs were burning for oxygen, her legs begging for a pause yet she pushed on. There was no time to lose, there was no telling whether she would be safe if she reached Camelot. But it was worth a shot, the woods didn't provide any safety whatsoever.

The soft rustling of the forest, the noises and the darkness all contributed to the fear she was harbouring in the pit of her stomach. It would stab and pinch her heart every few seconds, hurting her more than ever. It would feed off her anxiety, strengthen its hold and would try to paralyse her mind, cloud its judgement till she would be an easy target. And Katherine wasn't sure how long it would take before she would succumb to its hold.

All of a sudden she spotted a source of light and before she even was capable of reminding herself it might be bandits, a hand clamped itself over her mouth and roughly pulled her back. Her head slammed against the trunk of a tree as her vision blurred viciously. Her instant reaction was to fight and she found herself pushing back, clawing her hands against her perpetrator's arms, silently pleading to let her go.

"Who are you?" Sharp blue eyes halted her movements and she dropped her arms abruptly. A mop of dark hair adorned the sharp features that held those eyes. He was tall, but she could see that he was skinny, almost scrawny, though he surprised her with his strength. He dropped his hand and Katherine inhaled deeply. She could hear her heart beat loudly, as if it was trying to beat its way out of her chest.

"What's it to you?" She found herself replying. Her voice was scratchy, but at least it was steady and didn't betray her fear. He narrowed his eyes and she could feel the suspicion radiate off him. She didn't know who he was, nor was she interested in finding out.

It was at this moment that she realised that they were closer to the supposed camp than thought and panic took hold of her again. She could hear the horses, their hooves softly rustling the forest floor. The crisp of the fire as its smoke rose to the sky. The soft chatter and low chuckles of the men surrounding that fire.

"Merlin?" A voice rang in the dark. "What do you have there?" As her captor turned around Katherine saw an opportunity and she slammed her elbow into Merlin's stomach. He doubled over and she pushed past him. For a few seconds she felt relieved that she was able to get away from him, but that brief moment of euphoria was taken from her as she felt herself topple sideways, her body slamming against the ground.

Her head was swimming as she groaned in pain. A pair of hands grabbed her arm and pulled her back on her feet, she stumbled beside them as she realised she was being taken towards the fire. The chatter stopped and she could feel more than two pairs of eyes on her frame. Her hood was still intact and she knew that it might save her some time.

"Lancelot? What happened?" Another voice questioned. "Who is that?" The attention was brought to her again and someone pulled down her hood after pushing her forwards.

Her dark hair fell over her shoulders now her hood was down, she inhaled sharply as she took in her surroundings. She was completely surrounded by those men, their crimson cloaks rather bright in the dark night. She recognised the crest and gasped. The Knights of Camelot.

There was still a hand wrapped around her arm and she sighed at its hold. It was tight, perhaps even tight enough to leave a mark. But lately everything left its mark on her and she didn't even fight it. She glanced at the dark knight standing beside her. His dark hair was short, a slight tan adorned his soft features. Something stirred in the pit of her stomach. _Lancelot. _

"It's a woman." One pointed out and Katherine's temper took over.

"Well spotted." She snapped, turning her eyes on another tall, dark knight. His features were strong and his hair long. Such a contrast to the one that was standing next to her. She could see the mirth in his eyes but that didn't get rid of the suspicion they all harboured.

"Oh this is a feisty one." He replied patronisingly.

They were all engulfed in silence and Katherine was now capable of realising that she was safe. For the first time in days she was safe. Her eyes brimmed with tears and with all her power she refrained them from spilling over.

"I found her lurking around in the woods." Merlin suddenly piped up. She turned around and saw the lanky boy look at her sharply. She spun on her heel again, waiting for the verdict. Would they hurt her? Their leader, a broad shouldered blond stepped forward and she didn't have to know how much power he wielded.

"What is your name?" She knew it was Arthur. She had heard stories about him, about his bravery and courage in battle. But those were stories, overly romanticised. They could possibly mean absolutely nothing. His eyes suddenly dropped to her chest and she raised her hands, her fingers clasped around the pendant that hung around her neck.

"I know that." Arthur suddenly stepped forwards. "That's the crest of the Pentacouste line." His blue eyes sparkled with surprise before they hardened again and he glanced at Katherine. His hands reached out to her pendant but she automatically pulled away. Almost hiding behind Lancelot. "Where did you get that?" Katherine narrowed her eyes wanting to reply but her heart was heavy.

Arthur repeated his question again but it didn't register in her mind. It was one big blur of noise that melted together. She blinked slowly, her vision faltering as a wave of fatigue swept past her. She stumbled backwards, her back colliding with something solid. _Lancelot_. She wanted to move, to say something but gravity pulled her down. Her head felt heavy, as if it was filled with this thick fog. Hands wrapped themselves around her waist as she dropped to the floor.

It was all black before she could even respond.

**A/N: Please review, I would love to hear from you guys :)**


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